Low freeze unit



Jan. 30, 1951 G, L, C, EARLE 2,539,612

LOW-FREEZE UNIT Filed NOV. 26, 1946 I ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 30, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOW FREEZE UNIT Guyon L. C. Earle, Forest Hills. N. Y.

Application November 26, 1946, Seriai'No. 712,314

Claims. (Ci. 62-89) This invention relates to low freeze units and more specifically to those of the type adapted to form a part of a larger combination unit.

In a copending application of the present inventor, Serial No. 629,680, flled November 19, 1945, there is disclosed a utility unit of the setback or L-shaped type. This unit has a lower portion including the lower part of a space heater and a clothes washer and-a low freeze unit, an intermediate portion including another part of the space heater and having cabinet space for appliances, linens, etc., and an upper portion enclosing the upper part of the space heater and its accompanying flue pipes and having, in addition, storage space. A long table-top member is located on top of the lower portion and in front of the intermediate portion of the utility unit. In another copending application of the same inventor, Serial No. 652,545. filed March 7, 1946, now abandoned, there is disclosed a clothes drier adapted to be positioned behind a utility unit of the type disclosed in application Serial No. 629,680. The present invention, in one of its primary aspects, relates to the improvement of low freeze units adapted to be used with other elements of a utility unit and/or with a clothes drier.

It is, accordingly, an bjct of the invention to provide an improved low freeze unit of the setback or L-shaped type.

It is another object of this invention to provide a low freeze unit which has a sealed operating unit which can be easily installed after shipping and later removed for servicing.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a low freeze unit of the set-back or L- shaped type in which the liquefying portion of the refrigerating unit is placed in the upper set back portion of the unit under a stepped shelf.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a low freeze unit and clothes drier combination in which the fan of the refrigerating unit is positioned to dry clothes placed in the drier.

Other objects and features will be apparent as the description proceeds.

These objects are attained in accordance with the invention by providing, by way of example, a low freeze unit of the L-shaped or set-back" type comprising a large base cabinet, whose walls are thickly insulated and to which access is provided through a door in a table-top member on top of the front portion of the base cabinet, and an upper, set-back portion having stepped shelves covering the liquefying portion oi the refrigerating unit. which is preferably of the sealed type. The evaporator of the refrigerating unit comprises a large cold plate which is attached to a heavily insulated plug member at the rear of the top of the base cabinet. This plug member also serves as a base for the liquefying portion of the refrigerating unit. 'I'he fan of the refrigerating unit is placed near an opening in the rear of the upper set-back portion in such a position that it coincides with an opening in a. clothes drier positioned behind the deep freeze unit and causes a circulation of air therein. For ease in shipping, the sealed refrigerating unit and the plug member can be shipped as a separate entity and installed in the low freeze unit at the site where it is to be used. If, after the unit has gone into service and trouble occurs, the stepped shelf can be easily removed and the entire refrigerating unit and plug member taken out and repaired or replaced by new ones without disturbing the low freeze unit cabinet (which may be an integral part of a utility unit and thus be difficult to move).

The invention will be more readily understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a utility unit, including a low freeze unit in accordance with this invention, and a clothes drier associated therewith, the operating portion of the low freeze unit being shown in dotted lines to indicate its position in the utility unit;

Fig. 2 is a side view, with parts broken away to show portions in cross-section, of the combination of Fig. l taken from the right; and

Fig. 3 is a front view, partially in section, of

the right-hand portion of the arrangement of i Fig. l.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, Fig. l shows, by way of example and in perspective, an assembly Il in accordance with the invention comprising a utility unit I I and a clothes drier I2, the unit II including a low freeze unit I3 of novel arrangement. The back I4 of the utility unit Il is positioned adjacent the side wall I5 of the drier. The utility unit I3 is of the L- shaped or set-back type, that is, one in which the front plane of the intermediate portionl I6 thereof and the front plane of the upper portion Il thereof are placed to the rear (or setback" from) the front plane of the lower portion I8 of the unit. The lower portion I8 comprises the lower part Il of a space heater, a clothes washer 20, and the lower portion II of the low freeze unit I3. The intermediate portion I6 comprises the intermediate or upper portion 22 of the space heater (depending on its size), a cabinet 23 for the clothes washing unit and the upper portion 24 of the low freeze unit I3. The upper portion I1 of the unit comprises shelved cabinets 25 and, for large size space heaters, the upper portion of the space heater. A table-top member 26 is placed above the lower portion I8 and in front of the intermediate portion I6 and has holes therein for access doors 21 and 28 for the clothes drier and low freeze unit, respectively. The whole unit II preferably rests on a recessed base 29. A complete utility unit of the type briey described above is disclosed in the aboveidentied copending Earle applications. For convenience in shipping and installation, the upper portion I1 of the unit II is not fastened to the intermediate portion I6 but is supported from the side wall I or trusses of the drier I2, and preferably hang on brackets or wall-hangers (as disclosed in greater detail in the copending Earle application Serial No. 698,030, led September 19, 1946).

Behind the unit II is a space occupied. by the clothes drier I2. This comprises (see also Fig. 2) a compartment formed by the side member I5 (preferably having height and length equal to those of the utility unit I I and which may be attached to the back I4 of this unit) a similar side member 30, the floor or a bottom member 3 I, top member or ceiling 32 and end walls 33, the one shown in Fig. 1 being sliding. The side members I5 and 30 can be of heat insulating and fireproong material and preferably are of sounddeadening material as well. They have holes precut to accommodate the various pipes and conduits for the unit I I. They are braced by means of rectangular braces 34 and -the X-shaped trusses 35. Supported from the right hand end member 33 are various clothes-supporting members (not shown in this application but shown in the above-identified Earle application Serial No. 652,545) The side wall I5 of the clothes drier has an opening or window 36 therein opposite a corresponding opening 31 in the back Wall 38 of the intermediate portion of the deep freeze unit section of the utility unit II for a purpose which will be described below.

Referring now to the low freeze unit I3 for a more detailed description thereof, the lower portion 2| of this unit comprises heavily insulated front member 39, back member 4u, bottom-member 4I, side members 42 and 43 and top member 44 in which the access door 28 rests. A heavily insulated plug member 45 is fastened to and supported by the top member 44 and the back member 40. evaporator 46 (shown as a large cold plate having a front surface almost as large as the front surface of the back member 40) and supported by it is the liquefying apparatus 41 or a portion thereof (in the upper set-back part of the deep freeze unit). Connections betweenthe evaporator and the liquefying apparatus pass through the plug member 45. The fan 48 and the condenser 49 of this liquefying apparatus are positioned adjacent the openings 31 and 36 and help to cause a circulation of air in the clothes drier I2. A stepped condiment shelf 50 is placed in the upper set-back portion 24 of the lowfreeze unit and it serves also to hide from view the compressor, condenser and fan of the refrigerating unit.

In assembling the low freeze unit, the base cabinet is placed in position and then the upper Fastened to this plug 45 is the 4 portion 24 (with the condiment shelf removed) is swung into position over it and fastened thereto by any suitable means. The refrigerating unit (preferably of the sealed type) fastened to the plug member 45 is then put in through the front opening 5I of the upper set-back portion 24, the plug member 45 secured to the members 44 and 40 of the base cabinet and the fan and condenser fastened to the back wall 38. The condiment shelf 50 is then put in and fastened into place. If for some reason it is desired to repair the refrigerating unit, all that is necessary to do is to remove the shelf 50, unfasten the plug member 45 and the fan and condenser from their supports and take the entire refrigerating unit (and the plug member 45) through the opening 5I, all Without removing the base cabinet 2I and the upper set-back portion 24 from the utility unit I I. The advantages of this are marked.

Various obvious modifications can be made in the embodiment described above without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is indicated in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A low freeze unit comprising a lower or base cabinet with insulated walls and an access opening in the front of the upper surface thereof, an

said base cabinet, the liquefying apparatus of (lil said refrigerating unit being positioned in said set-back cabinet, said liquefying apparatus including a fan positioned adjacent an opening in one of said other walls of said upper set-back cabinet.

2. A low freeze unit comprising a lower or base cabinet with insulated walls and an access opening in the front of the upper surface thereof and a second opening in the rear portion of said upper surface, an upper set-back cabinet positioned above and to the rear of said access opening in the base cabinet, and a refrigerating unit for cooling said base cabinet, the liquefying apparatus of said refrigerating unit being positioned in said set-back cabinet, at least a portion of said liquefying apparatus being supported by a removable, heavily-insulated plug member for said second opening in the upper portion of said base cabinet, said second opening having a horizontal Vcross-section which is less than half that of the Whole upper surface of said base cabinet.

3. A low freeze unit comprising a lower or base cabinet with insulated walls and an access opening in the front of the upper surface thereof, an upper set-back cabinet positioned above and to the rear of said access opening in the base cabinet, and a refrigerating unit, including liquefying apparatus and an evaporator, for cooling said base cabinet, the liquefying apparatus of said refrigerating unit being positioned in said setback cabinet, and the evaporator thereof being positioned at the rear of said base cabinet, said evaporator comprising a cold plate in front of at least a large portion of the front surface area of the back wall of the base cabinet and positioned close thereto.

4. A low freeze unit comprising a lower or base cabinet with insulated walls and an access opening in the front of the upper surface thereof, an upper set-back cabinet positioned above and to the rear of said access opening in the base cabinet, a refrigerating unit, including liquefying apparatus and an evaporator, for cooling said base cabinet, the liquefying apparatus of said refrigerating unit being positioned in said set-back cabinet and the evaporator thereof being positioned at the rear of said base cabinet, said evaporator comprising a cold plate having a surtace in front of at least a large portion of the front surface area of the back wall of the base cabinet, and a removable plug member in the upper portion of the rear of said base cabinet for supporting both the evaporator and at least a portion of said liquefying apparatus and through which connections therebetween pass.

5. The combination of elements as in claim 4 in which said refrigerating unit is of the sealed type and is attached to said plug in such a way that said sealed unit and said plug can be re- The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS w Number Name l Date 1,887,948 Scherer Nov. 15, 1932 2,156,668 Staggs May 2, 1939 2,312,325 Earle Mar. 2, 1943 2,327,355 Kleist Aug. 24, 1943 2,412,774 Hoffman Dec. 17, 1946 2,429,934 Groh Oct. 28, 1947 

